I Think, Therefore I Am
by AlchemistM
Summary: He sits, he watches, he thinks, he learns. And he doesn't like what he finds. Young House centric. Genfic. No pairings.


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**I Think, Therefore I Am**

by: AlchemistM

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_"I hate you, Jessica! You're ugly, you're stupid, and you're annoying us, so just go away!"_

Gregory House watches as Amy Chesterton and her merry band of idiots gang up on another victim from his "thinking rock", and shakes his head as they succeed in running the other girl off, groaning inwardly as he realizes she's headed in his general direction.

_Please don't come over here, please don't..._

No such luck.

His thinking rock is in the middle of the grassy part of the recess playground, away from the jungle gym and swings, away from the happy screams and delighted squeals that bother him so much. He likes the quiet, likes the fact that he's the only one that ever comes over here to think.

He likes thinking.

And watching... And learning.

But what he doesn't like is the fact that the crying girl is three feet away from _his_ rock, interrupting _his_ thoughts with shuddering sobs and gasps of air, and upsetting _his_ personal space bubble.

And he doesn't like the fact that deep down he feels a twinge of something (_he labels it curiousity, but a part of him knows it's sympathy_) that leads him to sigh and jump off his rock, sneakers dragging through the grass as he walks toward her.

_It's only because I can't stand her sobbing; it's too loud._

_I don't really care._

He's good at lying to himself.

He stops just barely a foot in front of her, bright blue eyes peeking out from his auburn fringe, and clears his throat to get her attention.

No one ignores Gregory House, not for long.

She lifts up her head that was buried in her kneecaps, tears still streaming down her face, plain brown eyes moving up to meet his intense blue ones before moving back down.

"What?" She asks, a little more than a whisper.

Greg sighs, frowning down at her, head tilted to the side while he tries to figure her out, "Don't you think you're overreacting? Who cares what that bitch says or does?"

Jessica frowns too, her eyes looking sad, "I do. She's... my best friend, don't call her that."

He looks down at her incredulously, disgusted, "You hesitated. That means you can't possibly _begin_ to pretend that you consider her a friend, let alone your best one; thanks for playing though."

A glare through more tears, "Go away!"

"Not until you tell me the truth. Why are you defending her?"

Silence, but now that he's gotten it, he's too curious to walk away.

It stretches on before she gives up, unable to stand those eyes locking with hers for a second longer. "I'm new here... She's the only one that would talk to me so... even if it's only mean things she says to me, it's still better than being ignored. I hate being alone."

"..."

He grits his teeth, glaring down at her, "You're a moron."

She bites her lip and looks down, for a second looking so lost that he feels a sliver of guilt before extinguishing it completely, continuing on:

"Stop being so meek! Stand up for yourself, don't take anyone's shit! If you don't start, people like Amy Bitcherton are going to take advantage of you for the rest of your pathetic, timid life. Is that what you want, huh? Is it? Cuz if it is, stop wasting my time and go cry somewhere else. Preferably where I can't hear you."

And as she finally gets up and runs back to the jungle gym, he catches her parting words coupled with her tears, "You're such a jerk. I hate you!"

Greg looks stricken for one moment, his eyes widening with shock, before darkening; his mouth twisting into a gruesome smirk.

He stares after her, speaking to himself, "You don't know what_ real_ hatred is."

_Count yourself lucky._

And then he trudges back to his rock, returning to his previous thoughts with a smirk that's still half dark and half amused.

"I really am surrounded by idiots."

So he sits, he watches, he thinks, and he learns.

And he doesn't like what he finds.

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**(: Reviews for the authoress? -holds out collection can-**

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